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Coastal Living Names Ocean City, New Jersey, The Happiest Seaside Town In America 2018

Ocean City to be Honored as the Coastal Living No. 1 Happiest Seaside Town

NEW YORK, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation's Coastal Living, the leading authority on coastal home and travel, announced today the Happiest Seaside Town in America 2018 is Ocean City, New Jersey. The number-one ranking of Ocean City, along with the rankings of all the Top Ten Happiest Seaside Towns, is the result of an online vote. Now in its seventh year, the 2018 Happiest Seaside Towns ranked list is available online. It will also be featured in the July/August 2018 issue of Coastal Living, on newsstands June 15.

"This Jersey Shore city is pure Americana—a 19th century resort town that thrives on a recipe of boardwalk amusements, funnel cakes, and saltwater taffy. Ocean City's status as a 'dry town' keeps the whole vibe there very family-friendly - and it keeps people coming back year after year," said Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Living.

The Coastal Living 2018 Top Ten Happiest Seaside Towns in America, in Ranked Order:

"Ocean City's Residential Historic District is full of Victorian bungalows and beach cottages making year-round life feel like an old-fashioned vacation. Furthermore, the city has eight miles of broad, pale-sand beaches—including a surfing beach at its north end and the serene remove of Corson's Inlet State Park to the south. And that's a very happy way to live," said Tracey Minkin, Senior Editor, Travel and Features, of Coastal Living.

To choose the 2018 finalists for America's Happiest Seaside Towns, Coastal Living editors reviewed more than 300 towns nominated via social media. They collected each town's ranking on the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, percentage of sunny days, air quality, healthiness of beaches, commute times, crime ratings, walkability, geographic diversity, standard of living, and editors' assessment of each town's "coastal vibe." A proprietary formula yielded 10 finalists; the ranking was determined by an online vote in January/February 2018.

ABOUT COASTAL LIVING

The Coastal Living brand defines laid-back luxury for people who celebrate life along the coast. It serves a total audience of nearly 5 million affluent consumers with a passion for design, travel, food, and style. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the rapidly expanding Coastal Living brand is published by Meredith Corporation. Follow Coastal Living on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION

Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) (www.meredith.com) has been committed to service journalism for 115 years. Today, Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms—including broadcast television, print, digital, mobile, and video—to provide consumers with content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.

The Meredith National Media Group reaches nearly 175 million unduplicated American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Meredith is a leader in creating content across media platforms and life stages in key consumer interest areas, such as celebrity, food, lifestyle, home, parenting, beauty, and fashion. Meredith also features robust brand licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the United States, and The Foundry, the company's state-of-the-art creative lab and content studio. The Meredith Local Media Group includes 17 television stations reaching more than 11 percent of U.S. households.